How to Set Up the Xero Accounting Link

Overview

You can integrate simPRO with your Xero accounting package to post transactions and card file information directly from simPRO into Xero through the accounting link.

Before you begin posting your simPRO transactions to Xero, you need to set up your simPRO data and enable the Xero accounting link. Learn more in Set Up simPRO for the Accounting Link.

In order to view content or perform actions referred to in this article you need to have the appropriate permissions enabled in your security group. Go to System > Setup > Security Groups and access your security group to update your permissions. The relevant security group tab and specific permissions for this article can be found here:

Accounting Link

Before performing the steps detailed below, ensure that this part of your build is set up correctly. The relevant steps to set up the features and workflows detailed in this article can be found here:

Set Up simPRO for the Accounting Link

A screenshot of the available cloud accounting packages to select to integrate with in simPRO.

To enable the Xero accounting link in simPRO:

  1. Go to System A screenshot of a schedule icon with a grey calendar icon and an arrow. > Setup > Accounts Integration.
  2. Click the Xero logo.
  3. Click Save.

You can then How to Set Up the Xero Accounting Link and Adjust Xero export options as required.

To access the accounting link, click Dashboard in the top left corner, then go to Utilities A screenshot of a schedule icon with a grey calendar icon and an arrow. > Xero.

To integrate Xero with simPRO you must have administrator access to Xero. In some instances Xero provides limited access, such as through the Xero Partner Programme. If you have limited access to Xero contact them about whether you can be provided access to integrate with simPRO.

You need to adjust the following settings to enable the Xero accounting link in simPRO:

Invoice Status

Select Awaiting Approval if your business processes require that you approve invoices in Xero before you can apply payment.

Select Approved and Awaiting Payment to export invoices from simPRO with payments applied without an additional approval process, sending payments at the same time as the invoice.
Inventory Journal (Manual Journal) Status

Select Draft to export inventory journals from simPRO to require approval in Xero.

Select Posted to automatically post inventory journals in Xero after exporting from simPRO without an additional approval process.
Send Timesheets to Xero

Enable this option to send timesheets to Xero through simPRO.

By default this option is turned Off. Learn more in How to Export Timesheets to Xero.

Inventory journal settings only appear if you have enabled inventory tracking in simPRO. Learn more in What is Inventory Tracking?. If you enable inventory tracking after setting up the accounting link, please ensure you return to these settings and update them as applicable.

You can export a variety of transaction types from simPRO to Xero. Learn more about what information for each transaction is exported in What Data is Exported to Xero?.

Customers

Export all new customers created in simPRO to Xero.

When you edit a customer in simPRO, the changes export to the contact in Xero.
Invoices Export customer invoices and credits created in simPRO to Xero.
Suppliers Export all new suppliers and contractors created in simPRO to Xero. When you edit a supplier / contractor in simPRO, the changes export to the contact in Xero.
Suppliers Invoices Export supplier and contractor invoices and credits created in simPRO to Xero.

To enable a transaction type to be transferred, select On. To prevent it from being transferred, select Off. Then click Save to update your changes.

You can also select from the following settings for importing and exporting Payments between Xero and simPRO:

Both (Import to simPRO and Export to Xero)

Transfer payments both ways between simPRO and Xero.

You can use your bank feeds in Xero to automatically apply payments to invoices to then import into simPRO and / or enable technicians and customers to apply payment in the field and online using simPRO Payments. Learn more in How to Use simPRO Payments - NZ only. These payments can then be exported to simPRO.
On (Export to Xero)

Only transfer payments from simPRO to Xero and manage customer payment processing in simPRO.

This is useful if you do not use bank feeds to automatically apply payments to invoices in Xero.
On (Import to simPRO)

Only transfer payments from Xero to simPRO and manage customer payment processing in Xero.

This is useful if your accounts staff do not use simPRO, your technicians do not process payment on site, or your customers do not pay using simPRO Payments. Learn more in How to Use simPRO Payments - NZ only.
Off Do not transfer payments at all and manually apply payments in both simPRO and Xero.

You may wish to enter your payments in Xero and then transfer them to simPRO for the following reasons:

  • In simPRO, you can create payments to pay off multiple invoices at once. You cannot do this in Xero, which means that if you apply a payment to multiple invoices in simPRO and then transfer that payment to Xero, separate payments are created, which complicates reconciliation.
  • Xero offers direct bank feeds, which means you can easily transfer bank payments to Xero, then to simPRO.

If you have enabled STCs / VEECs and you are currently importing payments from Xero, you need to select the Both export option to ensure your STCs exports from simPRO to Xero. Learn more in How to Set Up STCs - AU Only.

simPRO and Xero apply different rounding conventions to transactions. So, it is possible that the Sub Total and / or Tax Amount of certain transactions in Xero may differ by a few cents when compared to the same transactions in simPRO. The only figure that must match between Xero and simPRO is the Total.